Rick Sweet on Jay Bruce

[OnBaseMachine]

Rick Sweet on Bruce:

Sweet had some of his warmest praise for one player not with the team. Outfielder and former top pick Jay Bruce played at three levels and finished at Louisville before winning Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year Award. He batted .319 with 26 homers and 89 RBIs overall.

"Jay Bruce is special," Sweet said. "I had Griffey the first year he played, and Jay Bruce is in that category in my opinion. I had Griffey when he was 18, and Jay just turned 20, but he's got the potential at the time. They're close to the same animal.

Bruce spent just 16 games at Double-A Chattanooga before his promotion to Louisville. It was supposed to be a temporary stay when injuries left the Bats shorthanded.

"I practically begged Wayne to have him come up in Triple-A," Sweet said. "I had two infielders in the outfield. I said, 'Let him come up for a week, because Dewayne Wise will be back in a week.' So they told him, 'You're going for one week.' [Paul] Janish was the other one. I had e-mails [from the Reds] that said in big letters 'ONE WEEK ONLY,' and they told the kids that. Jay started playing good, and Wise never got healthy."

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070920&content_id=2221253&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin

[Javy Pornstache]

It's not just Rick; I, too, am pretty sweet on Jay Bruce.

[Eric_Davis]

I've always liked Rick Sweet, even before he managed here in Portland. He has the gumption to ask and then re-ask when he's not getting the results about promoting a guy he recognizes as being ready. Glad the REDS have him.

[redsmetz]

I'm pleasantly surprised no one came down on WK on his clear indication the move was to be for ONE WEEK ONLY. I know I say this ad nauseum, but I think Krivsky's advancement of players incrementally is sound and will allow for improvement from our minor league system. As I understand it, it allows young players to experience success at each level, then move up to a more arduous league. Sometimes players push the program by their increasing talent, as Bruce has and that's not a bad thing.

[Eric_Davis]

Absolutely, redsmetz. More players' developments are set back years, sometimes destroying their careers altogether by being moved up too fast. The same is true in the business world as it is in baseball. Professional growth is similar across the board, regardless of the industry.

[redsmetz]

I could be wrong, but about the time that many teams were offering free agent veterans minor league contracts with invites to spring training, many teams seemed to leapfrogging their top prospects from AA directly to the majors. I know there are players who can make that leap, but I think I agree with Krivsky when he says we have AAA for a purpose. I think Bruce's case is a perfect example of allowing the move and letting the player show he's more than ready. I think too, though, that's why I'm comfortable with Bruce starting out in AAA and having a call-up some time into the season.

[OnBaseMachine]

Bruce earns Griffey comparison
BY JOHN FAY | JFAY@ENQUIRER.COM

SAN FRANCISCO - What does Louisville manager Rick Sweet think of the Reds' prized prospect, Jay Bruce?

"I had (Ken Griffey Jr.) his first year," Sweet said. "I put Jay Bruce in that category."

Griffey was 17 when Sweet managed him; Bruce is 20. But you get the idea.

Bruce, the club's No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, was named the Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, becoming the first member of the Reds organization to win that honor.

Sweet, who joined the Reds as a coach for the San Francisco series, was impressed with Bruce both as a person and as a player.

"He's special," Sweet said. "A very special player and person. He's fun to be around because he loves to play."

The first time Sweet yelled at Bruce, the kid was a bit taken aback.

"I said, 'Hasn't anyone ever yelled at you before?' " Sweet said. "He said, 'My mother.' "

Sweet isn't saying Bruce is a finished product, ready for the major leagues.

"He's 20," Sweet said. "He makes mistakes - baserunning, throwing to the wrong base - but he's learning."

It was at Sweet's insistence that Bruce ended up at Triple-A. Sweet was familiar with Bruce from spring training, so he asked general manager Wayne Krivsky to bring up Bruce when a couple of the Bats' outfielders got hurt.

"I had to beg Wayne to let him come up," Sweet said. "I got an e-mail that said in big letters: 'For one week only.' "

Bruce never returned to Double-A because he played so well at Triple-A. He hit .305 with 11 home runs and 25 RBI in 50 games for the Bats.

Bruce wasn't the only young player who came through Louisville that Sweet raved about.

"Johnny Cueto's special," Sweet said. "Jay Bruce is special. Josh Hamilton's special. We've got some people."

Cueto went 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA in five starts for Louisville.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070921/SPT04/709210405/

[camisadelgolf]

There have been several times in which I've heard, "His career was ruined by being advanced through the system too quickly . . . ", but I don't think I've ever heard, "His career was ruined by not being advanced through the system quickly enough."

[mth123]

I caught a portion of Sweet being interviewed on the radio and he discussed other players as well (yes I switched to the evil WLW on the drive home last night while the baseball channel on XM was droning on about Barry Bonds). If I heard correctly, he basically said (these are his points not quotes):

1. Votto is ready now and transformed himself from below average defender to a good one at 1B with hard work.

2. Bruce needs more time in AAA. He needs to learn to run the bases better, throw to the right base and cut his Ks.

3. Bailey is ready for a major league rotation spot and most of his troubles when the Reds called him up and after going back down were his groin problem.

4. Cueto needs another half season in AAA to learn to harness his emotions on the mound.

5. Keppinger and Hopper can sustain high averages in the majors with regular at bats.

Correct me or discuss at will.

[JaxRed]

I would say every one of those points are spot on.

[Redmachine2003]

I caught a portion of Sweet being interviewed on the radio and he discussed other players as well (yes I switched to the evil WLW on the drive home last night while the baseball channel on XM was droning on about Barry Bonds). If I heard correctly, he basically said (these are his points not quotes):

1. Votto is ready now and transformed himself from below average defender to a good one at 1B with hard work.

2. Bruce needs more time in AAA. He needs to learn to run the bases better, throw to the right base and cut his Ks.3. Bailey is ready for a major league rotation spot and most of his troubles when the Reds called him up and after going back down were his groin problem.

4. Cueto needs another half season in AAA to learn to harness his emotions on the mound.
5. Keppinger and Hopper can sustain high averages in the majors with regular at bats.
Correct me or discuss at will.

Bruce needs to continue to be challenged to keep progressing so he can become the star he has the talent to be. The only way he stays down at AAA is that Dunn and Jr are still on this team with Hamilton in center.

Cueto will have a chance to make this team out of spring training with the weak freeagent market in pitching. I think him, Bailey, Belisle, Maloney, and Shearn will be battling it out for the 4th and 5th starters on this team

Keppy and Hopper are exactly what we need on this bench. Two super subs that can handle a bat and play small ball and not miss anything in the field if someone goes down or needs a rest. They can be good pinch hitters since they put the ball in play.

[BoydsOfSummer]

I'm Rik and I'm sweet on Jay Bruce also.

That don't make me gay, right?

[gedred69]

All well and good. But, I am tired of hearing about how a player needs to "improve his defense", ---lame excuse for why Votto wasn't here when he should have been. Or, "he's got a good arm, but he needs to develop another pitch", lame excuse as to why the Reds waited to bring up Homer, instead waiting until his velocity dropped significantly due to a groin strain. These guys could have aquired valuable experience this year. Instead, they will have to get it at the start of '08.

[redsmetz]

All well and good. But, I am tired of hearing about how a player needs to "improve his defense", ---lame excuse for why Votto wasn't here when he should have been. Or, "he's got a good arm, but he needs to develop another pitch", lame excuse as to why the Reds waited to bring up Homer, instead waiting until his velocity dropped significantly due to a groin strain. These guys could have aquired valuable experience this year. Instead, they will have to get it at the start of '08.

They'll be fine next year. No harm done, frankly.